


Discoveries

by DirtKilling



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Alien Planet, Archaeology, Crushes, Cute, Languages and Linguistics, M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:33:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24218941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DirtKilling/pseuds/DirtKilling
Summary: Teal'c listens to Daniel babble about some ruins, and has heart eyes the entire time.
Relationships: Daniel Jackson/Teal'c
Comments: 4
Kudos: 35





	Discoveries

**Author's Note:**

> My piece for Brightclam's stargate fic exchange on tumblr!
> 
> For Nicky, hope you like it!

The hum of insects surrounded their campsite, which they had built about a 15 metres away from the ruins they were investigating. The planet had been abandoned by the Goa'uld long ago, and the host civilization gone sometime after. The remnants of their culture remained in amongst evidence of the Goa’uld.

The lavender sky was turning a deep purple as the planet’s long day came to an end. 

Teal’c sat straight backed on a log that SG6 had rolled over to the fire the day before, and watched the flames flicker softly. The leaves on the ground crunched as someone approached from behind. It was O’Neill. 

“Daniel just can’t give it a rest.” he sighed and plunked down on the other end of the makeshift bench. “I keep tellin’ him he’s gonna go bug-eyed if he keeps working in the dark.” O’Neill lamented as he pulled off his cap and ran a hand through his cropped grey hair.

He pulled a ration bar from a pocket and offered it to Teal’c, and when the other man shook his head, he shrugged and ripped it open. “Maybe he’ll listen to you, big guy. See if you can get him to put down that notebook.” He suggested before taking a bite.

“Perhaps,” Teal’c said with the slightest amount of amusement. “I will make an attempt.” He said and stood. O’Neill simply made a vague gesture, almost similar to an earth ‘salute’. 

"Good luck, T"

Teal’c made his way across the small clearing, towards the remains of the ancient structure, where a glow of light was emanating from behind a wall. He made sure as he approached to tread less lightly on the dead foliage as to be heard and not startle Daniel Jackson.

The effort was futile however, when he came to stand at the half crumbled pillar just on the edge of the electric lanterns light. The man crouched in the corner made no signs of having heard anything. Teal’c merely watched his teammate for a moment, who was lost in concentration. He often privately marveled at his ability to focus so singularly at a single task, few Tau-ri seemed to have that discipline. However, with Daniel it seemed to be an automatic occurrence rather than a trained effort.

His fine-featured face was awash in warm lamplight and hair fell over his forehead, his brow creased in concentration as he looked at the symbols on the weather-worn wall. Teal'c decided he had watched enough and it was time to break the moment.

"Daniel Jackson." He said into the silence, and despite the soft tone he used, Daniel startled. 

He looked up at Teal'c, blinking his eide eyes.

"Teal'c" he greeted, surprised. "I didn't hear you walk up" 

Teal'c simply bowed his head in acknowledgment "You were quite focused on your work." Daniel's eyes drifted back to the alien writings and started tapping the pen he was holding on the page of his notebook. 

"Well it's just this alphabet is pretty interesting, I'm starting to see a pattern." He said distractedly and thoughtful. Teal'c stepped forward and clasped his hands behind his back, taking a closer look at the writing.

"What is it that is so remarkable about this pattern?" He asked, his voice only revealing a piece of the intrigue he felt.

"Uh, there are slight differences in the symbols depending on which symbol preceded it. See here, there's this one" he gestured with his pen at a symbol of two connected curved lines and then to a seemingly identical symbol, save for a semicircle beneath it. "and this one, only a slight difference but each consistently following the same two letters."

"Could it not be simply a marker of differing pronunciation?" Teal'c suggested, crouching gracefully to get a better look.

"An accent. Yeah. That's a possibility, but that doesn't necessarily explain the pairings. And if you take into account that there only seems to be 12 main designs with 1-3 variations on each…" Teal'c was momentarily distracted when he glanced at Daniel's face alight with unraveling a discovery, and missed the end of the sentence.

Daniel looked at him sheepishly. "Sorry, ah, probably dont want to hear all that. Did Jack send you over? He was trying to get me to pack it in earlier"

"Not at all Daniel Jackson. O'Neill suggested I encourage you to take respite, but I find myself fascinated by your discoveries. I am curious as to how this cultures unique language survived Goa'uld rule." At that, Daniel's eyes lit up.

"Well that's a whole other can of worms," he agreed excitedly, "did this develop after they left? Before? It will take a lot more uncovering and searching the area for more archaeological sites to even hope to know anything really, but maybe answers of what they did or what happened to them will help us. Or at least they're remembered and documented." He added somewhat wistfully.

"I agree," Teal'c said softly, "Whether this is important to achieving our goals or not, this culture's place in the universe deserves to be acknowledged and remembered. However….I do not understand the correlation to canned worms, I was not aware that is something consumed on earth." At that, Daniel let out a surprised chuckle.

"Ah, sorry, no, I meant it non-literally, it's a saying, it means a new and separate set of problems or questions to be answered" He explained quickly, non patronising. Teal'c raised an eyebrow, but simply nodded in thanks of the explanation. Daniel then set down his notebook to reach under his glasses and rub at his eyes.

"You guys might be right though, I am getting tired. I had hoped to get this copied." Daniel sighed."I already finished the alphabet and variations but I'm not done copying the pairings. We're leaving tomorrow and Dr. Shellman is taking over the project. That's the thing about being SG1, always being the first through the gate, but not always able to see things like this through." Daniel finished, sounding melancholy. Teal'c considered for a moment.

"Do you have another writing implement?"

"Um, yeah why?" Daniel asked, curious, though he was already pulling another pen out from his pouch.

"If the two of us copy the symbol pairings, we will be able to rest sooner, while still attaining the documentation you need. That is, if my contribution is acceptable."

"You don't have to do that, Teal'c."

"I insist"

Teal'c pulled the lantern a foot closer to them and started on recreating the symbol pairings that Daniel pointed out to him onto the paper pad Daniel gave him.

After a few minutes, Carter and Evans returned from their parimeter walk and passed the pair.

"Are you two planning on getting some shut eye anytime tonight?" Captain Evans called just before Sam said 

"Daniel don't tell me you shanghai-ed Teal'c into being your assistant?" She had a knowing smile.

"I volunteered, Captain Carter," he assured her, having heard the term before, and gave her a small smile he knew she would be able to read but Captain Evans would not. 

"Yeah. We're almost done, we'll head back in a minute, Sam." Daniel said without looking up from his work.

With that Carter merely grinned at Teal'c and headed back to camp with Evans. Teal'c showed no signs that he noticed the look Daniel gave him from the corner of his eyes.

They sat in the lantern light for a few minutes in silence before Daniel spoke up.

"Teal'c?"

"Yes, Daniel?" 

"I just wanted to thank you, I mea... you didn't have to do this... it's uh-" he stumbled and cleared his throat. "Well, it's kind of you. Thank you." Teal'c thought that if there were more light, he would see a flush on his companions face.

"It is my pleasure, Daniel Jackson. It is no hardship to spend time in good company." He told him, feeling a rare, genuine smile cross his face.

"Well, thanks all the same." Daniel said and fell into silence again. If for the short time they sat there working, they worked with their shoulders brushing,Teal'c was not going to say anything.


End file.
